The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries requirements for online boating safety courses changed effective January 1, 2009 and the NEW Boat Virginia Online Course meets those requirements. The old Boat Virginia course and test does not meet those requirements and was discontinued on December 31, 2008.

• Take the NEW Boat Virginia Online Course!
• Or, you can order the Boat Virginia Video Course

The course material below remains as a resource for all who boat on Virginia's waters—particularly experienced boaters who need a refresher, but not a boater education certificate.

Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Contents

• Your Vessel's Certificate of Number and Decal
• Other Facts About Titling and Registering Your Vessel
• Hull Identification Number
• Buying and Selling a Vessel
• Who May Operate a Vessel
• Safe Speed and Unlawful Operation of a Vessel
• Obstructing Navigation and Safe Navigation
  • Homeland Security Restrictions
• Alcohol and Drugs
• Personal Flotation Devices (Life Jackets)
• Fire Extinguishers
• Backfire Flame Arrestors
• Ventilation Systems
• Mufflers and Noise Level Limits
• Navigation Lights
• Visual Distress Signals
  • Federally Controlled Waters
• Sound-Producing Devices
• Other Equipment and Regulations
• Requirements Specific to Personal Watercraft (PWCs)
• Towing a Person with a Vessel Legally
• Waste, Oil,and Trash Disposal in Virginia and Federal Waters
  • Aquatic Nuisance Species
• Boating Accidents and Casualties—What the Law Requires You to Do
• Enforcement
• Virginia Required Equipment Checklist
• Virginia Boating Safety Education Requirement
• Chapter 4 Summary
• Review Questions for Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating